Over the last 10 years, I've made observations of my friends (whom I respect and admire a ton), coworkers and executives on their morning habits.

To give you some quick context, they've worked at companies like Box, Kaiser, VMware, Optimizely, Cisco, Deutsche Bank, or they've started their own companies.

They're also mostly funny, caring, smart and thoughtful.

So I would consider them to be well-balanced.

Here are the top 10 morning habits:

1. They're crushing it on commutes

While everyone else is taking a nap on the train or twiddling their thumbs, they're crushing it on their laptop and changing the world, one letter at a time. They also don't make excuses.

For example: "Nelson, how could I do this? I have to drive to work, I can't create something while I'm driving!" Sure, that's true, but you could be learning with audiobooks.

Did you know that a lot of my blog posts were written on my commute when I took the train south? • Sometimes I even write on my phone while waiting in line for food.

Seriously, just yesterday I wrote most of this post on my phone while waiting in line and it has 5,900+ views already.

2. They wake up early, around 6 a.m. or 7 a.m.,and are excited for the day

Because they understand their time here is limited.

3. They simplify their wardrobe choices

... So that they don't spend hours agonizing what to wear for the day. Mark Zuckerberg does this and I'd say he's done pretty well for himself.

4. They create motivation by reminding themselves of their 'why'

Ask yourself the hard questions, like, "Why am I doing this?" or, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"

And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." By the way, that last quote was from Steve Jobs.

My cofounder (we work on a motivational blog together) does this all the time. He'll ask, "Why are we doing this?" He challenges me to make sure that we're focused on always doing things for the right reasons. I love it. It provides clarity.

5. They don't drink coffee

They find other ways to energize themselves, like circuit training, yoga, or cycling.

And a lot of times, they do this with friends. It expands their social circle and influence. And it's a heck of a lot more fun usually too.

6. They don't surf the web or social sites for hours on end

Instead of consuming, they focus on creating. To put a slight twist to this, many of them create amazing content or products and then use social networks to spread the word. They understand that social networks can be a powerful way to amplify impact.

7. They drink green smoothies

Because they believe a healthy body leads to a healthy mind.

8. They eat protein

... Because it helps with satiety.

9. They work out and actually break a sweat

They push themselves physically and mentally to start the day strong. You're probably thinking, "Seriously Nelson? You really work out most mornings?" And the answer is "Yup." I ran about one mile and did 24 sets of chest and back workouts yesterday morning.

10. They simply start

Whether it's writing a blog post, lifting weights, or making a great breakfast, they get up every day and simply start. They understand that the momentum will carry them forward to a great day.

Seriously, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start crushing it!